Brixels

Digital. Physical.

Customizable kinetic pixels for art and architecture.

Brixels™ are a groundbreaking technology designed to inspire a new creative era in art and architecture. Brixels can rotate to any precise position and can spin endlessly in either direction.

Brixels are infinitely rotating, variable-size bricks that are controlled by proprietary software and can act as pixels in large-scale and customizable artworks, building facades, and a range of other applications. They can also display a range of digital content, as well as respond to the movements of passers-by. The bricks themselves are customizable in size, shape, material, and color, making each installation unique.

See it in action.

Brixel Mirror is the first installation to demonstrate the capability of Brixels™. Brixel Mirror is 18 by 6 foot interactive installation that uses 540 Brixels™, and is the first artwork to use the technology.

A New Era in Art.

Over that past 10 years, BREAKFAST has designed high-tech kinetic interactive sculptures for both public and commercial use. Brixels is their latest paintbrush allowing them to develop custom kinetic pieces faster while not limiting their creativity.

A Functional Facade.

The architecture and interior design industries have seen little innovation in terms of how to integrate digital content and information in an aesthetically appropriate way. When it comes to integrating digital elements into a space, it almost always comes in the form of a glowing rectangle. Brixels' ability to adapt in both look and form allows it to meld into an architects' particular vision for a given space.

The Engineering

The hardware and software behind Brixels were developed from the ground up by BREAKFAST.

The key design feature behind Brixels was designing the essential components into the center support shaft. This allows each Brixel to spin endlessly in either direction without any tangled wires or slip-rings.

A Linux controller computer sits at the heart of each installation, running a variety of apps that process the visual data and pass it along to the Brixels. The data is sent via RS485 to the controller PCBs that sit at the bottom of each column. Each controller PCB then sends the data over a serial line up the column to each individual Brixel. The architecture allows an endless amount of rows and columns of Brixels.

A web app that runs off of the Linux Controller allows each installation to be controlled from any device. You can create and upload a variety of content, as well as create playlists and schedules.